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Topic: Wiring problems (Read 2692 times)

I've asked some questions on another post here but I thought some pictures might help me. I'm trying to get the wiring back to the way it came out of LOS. The car is an idiot light 68 Z with no options other than an AM radio. The AIM and Chassis service manual confuse the wiring diagrams with what seems like both gauge and idiot light combos. Here is my horn relay. In the picture the big black wire is one with a fusible link and is red after that. The orange one connected to the red wire is the one I added when I got the console conversion kit and I don't know if that has to go away. The dark green and black wires plugged into the bottom appear as in the AIM. The pink wire has a black stripe so I assume that is the same as the AIM, but it isn't connected to a screw as the AIM suggests and it doesn't show the red to black fusible link I have on the screw, just a black one the whole way. The big red wire is shown as connected to the big black wire in the AIM. Is that because they share the same connection or should they be on the same post ? Everything seems to work, but I was wondering if anyone else with an idiot light 68 could help me out or even show me a pic of how theirs looks? Or is there a better wiring diagram that shows how it really is supposed to actually look on the car?

This is a pic of the VR. The top wire is dark blue and the next shows to be an orange fusible link which I don't have but I just ran the white wire all the way to the alt. until I can find the correct fusible link orange/white wire. This seems to match the AIM. The next two should be red 10 ga. and 20 ga. pink wires, but I have orange and tan 20 ga. wires. Does anyone have a pic of theirs that shows what it really is or can point me to a wiring diagram that shows what it really was? The weather is finally getting nice and I'd like to get this back to factory. Thanks.

Your horn relay looks correct. The Green wire goes to your horns. The small Black wire is horn power from the steering column. The Pink w/Black stripe is the key buzzer. It goes through the fuse block up to the ignition switch. The Red wire goes to the main splice. That splice goes to the alternator, juction block behind the battery on the firewall, and voltage regulator. Factory gauges adds another wire to the relay that goes directly to the gauge after passing through the fuse block. The big Black wire is a fusable link connecting to a Red wire which goes to the fuse block and is the main chassis power. If you look closely, you will notice that the two screw terminals on the regulator are screwed into the same piece of metal. So, they see the same "signals" no matter which of those two wires go on which screw. The way they are mounted in your picture is the "correct" way.

The voltage regulator looks correct, as well. The Dark Blue wire goes directly to the externally regulated alternator. The White wire does, too. I don't have a fusable link in that line... The Orange wire is a fusable link that goes to a Red wire, then to the main splice. The Brown wire goes to the fuse block and on to the ignition switch for accesory power.

My harness is pretty hacked up. So, pictures are not a good idea. But I bought all new harnesses and they match other people's pictures that I've collected along the way. The ones I have look just like yours...

Not at all. That's exactly what I needed. The AIM just has wires that also go to the console gauges and I wanted to make sure that I didn't have some of those. The only question I have is on the horn relay, if that orange wire that I added when I had gauges needs to go?

Not at all. That's exactly what I needed. The AIM just has wires that also go to the console gauges and I wanted to make sure that I didn't have some of those. The only question I have is on the horn relay, if that orange wire that I added when I had gauges needs to go?

Where does the orange wire you added end up? It's "hot" all the time, key on or off.

Goes to location SB on the bulkhead connector which should be empty on an idiot light car. Then to EW and the console gauge extension harness to the console for the amp gauge. I just wanted to make sure it didn't fit some other need or go elsewhere for an idiot light car. It would seem it's additional and not used for my cars original setup, but the AIM's wiring chart is a bit confusing.

You are right about the AIM's schematic! The Brown GEN warning light wire at the instrument cluster gets spliced in with the running lights according to the AIM...

Sorry, I was only able to straighten myself out by having the harness for my set up in hand and tracing everything... I don't know about the warning lights layout. Do you have a Brown wire in your instrument cluster connector? You may want to trace that to where it gets it's signal. I'm guessing the brown wire on the ignition switch will be common with it.?.? So, that would also mean that you wouldn't need the additional/added Orange wire. Unless, of course, you modified your connector to use the Brown wire for the TACH input...

Does your car have the Orange fusable link in the White wire to the alternator? I know the schematics show one. But I don't have one in my "with gauges" harness. I'm pretty sure the White and Blue are just a kind of "signal" trasmitting set up to tell the alternator to output more or less voltage. I wouldn't think a fusable link is needed there.?.?

Yes, I put in a console harness conversion when I thought the console gauges were original, but that is easy to reverse. I will just reverse the instructions for putting it in. But the question is,is what I had there correct in the first place or did someone hack it up and try to convert it without this wire set I added? That's where I got confused by looking at the AIM and not coming up with the same wires as they listed. This is why I wanted someone with an original idiot light car to show me what they had. I have gotten some pics from the first gen site that a guy on TC started. They have been very helpful as well as people on this site.

The orange wire is something I just don't know about unless someone with an unmolested one can comment. I was just going by what the AIM had and that is questionable at best.

With your comments and some of these pictures, I think I am 99% there. I just need to know about the orange wire. Or I need to get a wiring diagram that is exact for just lights. Thank you.

Have you tried called American Auto Wire? I hear they are very helpful. I bought AAW harnesses and they are great. But I've never had to call them for troubleshooting. I did have to call them about a couple defects... Anyway, they might be able to at least tell you what their harnesses have on them. I don't think they will give you a copy of their schematics, though...

I e-mailed them and once we got to what I was trying to get answered he gave me some place to look for schematics. But it is kind of a modern version with hookups for modern add ons etc. I'll look through them again. Thanks. BTW they don't sell any individual wires, I asked.

I have a picture of their harness and the quality isn't good enough to make out what wire go into the bulkhead but the wires going to the alt are just blue and white. I just don't know if they go to an orange wire with fusible link.

Wheel, I posted on TC thinking they may have more 68 owners there, but I've gotten answers that still confuse the issue of whether or not the white wire from the alt. turns into an orange fusible link in the wrap and whether or not the #4 wire on the VR is brown or pink. So if someone has an original idiot light 68 or harness they can vouch for I'd really appreciate it.